Supports

Free upgrades for eligible homes

You may be eligible for a free home energy upgrade if your home was built and occupied before 2006 and you are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. Find out more >

The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is no longer available. You may be interested in the new Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP).

Community Employment helps people get back to work by offering part-time placements in jobs based within local communities.

Tús is a community work placement scheme for unemployed people who are selected to participate by the Department of Social Protection.

JobsPlus is an incentive to encourage employers to employ long-term unemployed people. The incentive is paid monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period.

The Programme supports community businesses to provide local services to their communities and to provide employment to unemployed people.

The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and fishermen/women who are getting certain social welfare payments.

The new Work Placement Experience Programme gives people who have never had a job or who have lost their job a chance to get work experience.

The medical card scheme entitles certain people to free public health services. This document explains the medical card and how to apply for it.

How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are under 70 years of age.

How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are over 70 years of age.

Family doctors (GPs) provide certain services to medical card holders free of charge.

Unless you have a medical card or GP visit card, visits to family doctors are not free. What is a GP visit card and how can you apply?

Children under 6 are entitled to free visits to participating GPs. Find out how to register for the GP visit card for children under 6.

In certain emergency situations, a healthcare professional can apply for you to get a temporary medical card known as an emergency medical card.

Information about Illness Benefit, a payment made to people under 66 who are unable to work because of illness.

Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment that may be paid to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability.

A weekly payment to people that have an injury, illness or disability which is expected to last more than a year. Find out how to qualify and rates of payment.

The Blind Pension is a means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people normally living in Ireland. Find out more about this social welfare payment and how to apply.

The Treatment Benefit Scheme is a scheme run by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that provides dental, optical and aural services to people with the required number of PRSI contributions.

The Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme provides a range of benefits for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling directly to or from work.

Injury Benefit is a weekly payment made to employees who are unfit for work as a result of an accident at work or because they have contracted a disease due to the type of work they do. Find out more.

Disablement Benefit may be payable to you if as a result of an accident at work or a prescribed disease contracted at work, you suffer a loss of physical or mental faculty.

If you are an insured employee and are injured at work or contract a prescribed occupational disease you may be entitled to a refund of medical costs.

Information on how work or training can affect your disability payment and any extra benefits you are getting.

A Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home. Find out more.

Partial Capacity Benefit is a scheme to support people on Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension who want to return to work.

People who adopt children may be entitled to leave from employment. This leave is called adoptive leave. Find out what this means and how to apply.

Information about statutory paternity leave, which is available since September 2016.

The Parental Leave Acts 1998-2019 allow parents to take parental leave from employment up until their child’s 12th birthday. From 1 September 2020 you can take 26 weeks.

Each parent is entitled to 5 weeks paid parent’s leave for a child born or adopted on or after 1 November 2019. This will raise to 7 weeks from 2021.

Information about the different types of primary schools and their admission policy.

An outline of the primary school curriculum, including its aims, structure and content.

This document describes the rules governing boards of management of primary schools

Who owns primary schools and how they are they funded?

Describes schemes that provide additional resources for primary schools with large numbers of disadvantaged pupils.

The arrangements for special needs education in primary schools include learning support/resource teachers and special needs assistants.

The transport scheme for primary school pupils and information on how to qualify.

Children who are enrolled in State special schools or in special classes in State primary schools may qualify for free transport to school.

Introduces the system of education in Ireland at primary level and information describes the procedures involved in enrolling a child in primary school.

There are different types of post-primary school. The main difference is in how your school is managed, how it is funded and who owns your school.

The first three-year period of second-level education is called the Junior Cycle.

This document describes the Transition Year programme, a one-year, school-based programme between Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.

This document describes the Senior Cycle in post-primary schools.

This document describes post-primary education for students with disabilities.

The Department of Education provides subsidised school transport for eligible post-primary students.

A list of organisations and internet resources providing information on education at second-level.

Different schooling options available in the secondary school system in Ireland and outlines the state examination system.

The Department of Education operates a Visiting Teacher Service for deaf children and children with visual impairments.

This document describes the educational supports for non-English-speaking students in primary and post-primary schools.

The National Educational Psychological Service provides psychological services in primary and post-primary schools.

This document provides information on the arrangements in place for the education of Traveller children

This document describes a scheme that provides a grant to schools to allow them to buy equipment for students with disabilities at post-primary level.

There are a number of education schemes for young people and others who have left school without a recognised qualification.

The system of validation of qualifications in further and higher education.

This document describes the system of third-level education in Ireland.

Applying for College

Describes the application procedures and entrance requirements for third-level educational institutions.

Supports access to third-level education for students with disabilities.

Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a scheme to improve access to college for school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This document describes the different full-time and part-time educational options available to adults at third level.

Provides free, part-time, third-level and retraining places.

This document contains information about who has to pay third-level fees.

Tax relief is available in respect of tuition fees paid in private third-level institutions, in institutions abroad and by repeat students and part-time students. The Student Contribution may also qualify for relief.

Explains the Student Grant Scheme. Covers eligibility criteria and new rates.

Information on grants and funds available for mature students in third-level education.

Information on claiming a social welfare payment, BTEA and the student grant.

Explains how postgraduates can qualify for financial assistance under the Student Grant Scheme.

Information on other financial supports for students in further and higher education.

There are different types of post-primary school. The main difference is in how your school is managed, how it is funded and who owns your school.

The first three-year period of second-level education is called the Junior Cycle.

This document describes the Transition Year programme, a one-year, school-based programme between Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.

This document describes the Senior Cycle in post-primary schools.

This document describes post-primary education for students with disabilities.

The Department of Education provides subsidised school transport for eligible post-primary students.

A list of organisations and internet resources providing information on education at second-level.

Different schooling options available in the secondary school system in Ireland and outlines the state examination system.

Stamp duty is paid on the transfer of property

Each time the ownership of a property changes, a new deed of title is drawn up to record the change. The Property Registration Authority is responsible for 2 systems for recording property transactions.

This page explains the property rights of cohabiting couples, for example, in relation to buying a home together, making a cohabitation agreement, applying for local authority housing, and getting legal advice.

Brief description of 2 different types of insurance that you can take out in respect of a mortgage.

As well as mortgage payments, the other costs involved in buying a home can be significant.

A summary of steps to take when moving house, including transferring utilities, redirecting post and notifying schools.

Mortgage interest relief ended on 1 January 2021. This page describes how mortgage interest relief worked when it was available.

The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) is responsible for licensing and regulating property services providers in Ireland. This document described their licencing and other functions

A mortgage is a long-term financial commitment. You need to assess your finances and ensure that you can manage the repayments. The Central Bank has set limits on the size of residential mortgages.

The Help to Buy incentive scheme offers a tax refund for first-time buyers of newly-built homes.

The Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan is a Government-backed mortgage for first-time buyers administered by the local authorities.

An allowance of €11,450 over 5 years is payable to local authority tenants, tenant purchasers and some housing association tenants who take out a mortgage to buy or build a house.

Local authorities may provide housing sites at low cost to help people in housing need to provide their own housing.

This scheme enabled low-income purchasers to buy a proportion of a home to begin with, increasing in steps until the whole house was owned. It has now been stood down.

The old affordable housing schemes have been discontinued. There are new affordable purchase schemes planned, but they are not yet in operation. Affordable housing schemes help eligible first-time buyers to buy homes at below their market price.

Information for people facing mortgage arrears.

Mortgage lenders must adhere to codes of conduct when dealing with customers. Find out more.

Mortgage lenders must follow a defined process when dealing with borrowers facing arrears. This process is known as MARP.

Information on alternative repayment arrangements and other options for people faced with mortgage arrears. Issues to consider when assessing your options.

Describes the mortgage-to-rent scheme, which allows people in mortgage difficulty to switch to renting their homes.

Waterford Chamber provides a range of services that support and nurture local businesses. Whether you are an individual or a large company, Waterford Chamber can help you take your business to the next level. With a variety of benefits including business to business networking events, training and seminars as well as a host of additional services, your business can avail of all that membership has to offer.

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The Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber provides a variety of services to retail, industrial, service, and professional businesses all over West Waterford including networking opportunities, training and promotion. The Chamber is also involved in many forums and joint committees with local authorities and development agencies to ensure real representation in decision making and build strong working partnerships.

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